Pasadena Memorial High School

Pasadena Memorial High School

Failure is not an option
Address
4410 Crenshaw
Pasadena, Texas, 77504
United States
Information
Established 2003
Founder Billye Smith
School district Pasadena Independent School District
Superintendent Dr. Kirk Lewis
School number (713) 740-0390
Principal Dr. Angela Stallings
Faculty 256
Grades 9-12
Enrollment 2,961
Average class size 25 students
Hours in school day 7:15 am - 2:30 pm
Campus size 80 acres
School color(s) Teal, Black, and Gold
Mascot Roxy and Renegade
Nickname PMHS
Team name Mavericks
Rival J. Frank Dobie High School, Deer Park High School
Newspaper The Stampede
Yearbook The Frontier
Website

Pasadena Memorial High School (PMHS) is a secondary school located in Pasadena, Texas.

The school serves grades 9 through 12 and is the second largest school in the Pasadena Independent School District. It is sometimes referred simply as "Memorial" or as "PMHS" to differentiate it from nearby Pasadena High School.

The current principal is Dr. Angela Stallings. Assistant Principals are Jeremy Richardson (Associate Principal), Tish Eubanks, Jon Thompson, Cleveland Lee, Mike Adams, Jessica Swenson and Dr. Angela Kennedy.

Facilities

The school, constructed on an 80-acre (320,000 m2) site, is designed around three main segments. The first segment includes the academic area, library and central administration area. The second segment contains the music and drama departments, auditorium, gymnasium and drill team. The third segment contains the dining hall and vocational laboratories. Two landscaped courtyards that surround the dining hall are used for outdoor dining, a sculpture court, and an art lab. Beyond its functional aspects, the courtyards provide a quiet environment for students and staff.

Expansion

Since the opening of the school, district officials contemplated expanding the school. A week before the end of the first semester in 2006, the school opened a new wing adjacent to the mathematics hall that houses English teachers. The original plan for this wing was for it to be the Freshman Academy, where all freshmen would attend class. The Freshman Academy was moved to the old English hall, thus forcing the move of the English teachers. PMHS also built a new field house exclusively for its football program right off the south parking lot.[1] Recently, outdoor portable buildings, converted to classrooms, have been provided for overflow as the number of students has exceeded the school's capacity. Students are allotted one additional minute to reach these facilities, which was decreased from the original travel time of two minutes. A student petition was created that had more than five hundred signatures against the time decrease, but the administration denied the students appeal for an additional minute to travel to portable classes claiming that students should "walk faster" as quoted by Assistant Principal Kevin Blain. Plus an addition of security cameras were added in the hallways, cafeteria, and outside of building, along with police officers to ensure more safety due to a survey taken by parents and students whom requested more security.

Neighborhoods served

The school serves portions of the city of Pasadena including Strawberry Glen and small sections of Houston around Ellington Field, including Genoa Township, Southway Gardens, and Gulf Palms.

Dress Code

For the 2015-2016 school year, PMHS students are required to wear standardized dress, as required by the PISD district guidelines. This includes any colored shirts that are in the "oxford" or "polo" collared shirt style. Although spirit shirts, that are purchased from the Trading Post, can worn everyday and college t-shirts on Thursday's. Appropriately sized jeans or khakis, no shorts or capris are allowed to be worn. And ID badges are required to be worn everyday while on campus.

Feeder patterns

Elementary schools: Burnett, Laura W. Bush, Fisher, Garfield, Genoa, Golden Acres, Jensen, Parks, South Houston, Teague, and Turner.

Middle schools: Lomax and Milstead.

Intermediate schools: Elmer G. Bondy, Park View, and V.W. Miller.

Clubs, organizations and extracurricular activities

Academic Decathlon, Agriculture (FFA), Aquatics (swimming, diving, finswimming, open water), Art Club, Maverick Band, Choir, Orchestra Best Buddies, Broadcast Journalism (MAVision), Business Professionals of America (BPA), Cheerleading, Cosmetology, Drill Team (The Sidekicks), Fellowship FCCLA, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, French Club, Globetrotters, Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA), Hospitality and Management, International Thespian Society, Latin Club, National Honor Society (NHS), Newspaper (The Stampede), Ready Set Teach, Robotics, Sography, Spanish Club, Speech and Debate, Sports Medicine, Student Council, Student Library Advisory Committee (SLAC), Tennis, Texas Association of Future Educators (TAFE), Touch Of Unity, Track, Yearbook (The Frontier), and Youth for Christ [2]

Maverick Theatre

Pasadena Memorial has been the home to many talented young actors, actresses, and directors. They have been honored many times at the Tommy Tune Awards, and at UIL competition. In fact, four Mavericks have consecutively been awarded best actor or best actress awards at UIL competition: Michelle Loya (2012), Alexis Vargas (2013), Damian Moncada (2014), and Sarai Garcia (2014). Former directors include "H" Brown, Charles Swan and Jaime Martinez. The current directors are Kendra Curtis and Janet Sharpley.

Every year, PMHS Theatre participates in the annual Tommy Tune Awards hosted by Theatre Under the Stars, which recognizes musical theatre in Houston area high schools. The following is a list of the nominations and winnings from Pasadena Memorial:

Anything Goes (2006) -

Beauty and the Beast (2008) -

Guys and Dolls (2009) -

Thoroughly Modern Millie (2010) -

Crazy for You (2011) -

Oliver! (2012) -

Hello Dolly! (2013) -

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (2014) -

Maverick Orchestra

Since the school's opening in 2003, the orchestra has been directed by Stanley Oakes. Stanley Oakes is a well decorated musician, he has played everything from weddings to the nutcracker ballet. As a high school musician, he was selected all four years to the all-region and all-state orchestras. After graduating high school he attended the University of Houston where he double majored, music and business. After receiving a master's in both, he started teaching orchestra. He taught at Park View Intermediate, a school he himself attended, for a number of years before moving to teach at Bondy Intermediate for one year while also starting his career at Memorial.

The Maverick Orchestra has been the most consistent award winner of all fine arts organizations. Earning a sweepstakes award every year since opening is no small feat but in 2010 and 2011 the orchestra received sweepstakes in all three performing groups, Freshman, Junior Varsity, and Varsity. Performing at various locations across Pasadena and Houston, this group as become well known for their great tradition and leadership, not to mention great music.

Stanley Oakes and the Maverick Orchestra also play every year in the Pasadena Memorial High School Musical production. Varying year to year, this has been nominated the Tommy Tune Awards, best director and best orchestra.

Maverick Band

Since the school's opening in 2003, the band has earned many awards and recognitions. The Marching band has achieved sweepstakes in 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, "True" sweepstakes in 2007, 2008, and 2009 for both Marching and Concert Band, and participated in UIL's Area marching Competition in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010. In 2006 the band made its Bands Of America debut at "The Rig" in Pearland and placed 13th in the nationally renowned competition at the regional level (2006, 2010). The band attends the annual Sam Houston State Marching Competition in Huntsville Texas where it has been named a finalist band consecutively since 2004. The band has also been named Class AA Champions in 2007, 2008, 2009 and was crowned the Grand Champions of the festival in October 2008. In addition to this, The Maverick Band boasts Championship titles with its Winterguard and Indoor Drumline organizations.

Mr. Burke has been offered and accepted a position within the PISD Administration department as Associate Director of Fine Arts in 2010, and since then, Mr. Jason Harvey from Chattanooga, Tennessee has been appointed as director of bands. Mr. Harvey has had many successful programs that have received many awards under his direction including those participating in the Bands Of America National Contest. He has numerous years of Drum Corps experience (Spirit and The Cavaliers) and was the Head Drum Major for the Cavaliers in 1996. Mr. Harvey is often seen as an adjudicator through the United States, more specifically, he often adjudicates with The Texas Color Guard Circuit

Staff

Jason Harvey: Director of Bands (University of Tennessee at Chattanooga)
Mark Waldon: Assistant Director (Texas Tech University)
Lisa Hughes: Assistant Director (McNeese State University, University of Oklahoma)
Eric Donez: Color Guard Director
Mark Nguyen: Associate Director (University of Houston)

Sports

The school colors are teal, black, and gold, and the school mascots are Roxy and Renegade: the Mavericks. The students at Memorial show a strong sense of pride, the pride is often referred to as "Bleeding Teal."

The current Head Football Coach and Athletic Director is Chris Quillian. The previous Head Football coach is John Snelson, who led the Mavericks to the Texas Class 5A State Playoffs each year since 2006. The 2007 team made it to the 3rd round of the playoffs before losing to the eventual 5A-Division 2 State Champion, Katy High School. The 2008 team made it to round one with Beaumont Westbrook, and the 2009 team made it to round two losing to Clear Springs High school.

During the 2012 varsity football season, Memorial featured the districts first female varsity player. Senior Tara Cole started every game as the teams place kicker and kickoff specialist. She finished the season 42/47 PAT, and 5/6 FG, with a total of 57 points. She was ranked 9th in Texas 5-A schools for overall kicking. (KPRC News Interview) Also starring as Memorial’s Girls varsity goalkeeper, she will continue playing soccer during the 2013 season for Sam Houston State University. Tara Cole currently plays for the Houston Energy International Women’s Football League (IWFL).

MAVision

MAVision is a student produced, closed circuit television show started in 2003 under the direction of John Powell that provides the students and faculty daily news updates and announcements. By teaching skills in editing, scriptwriting, filming, and production, MAVision prepares students interested in the field of broadcast with not only hands on instruction, but also with the use of state of the art equipment, including a complete broadcasting studio as well as Apple editing software and computers. Students receive experience in producing all the elements in the daily announcements program as well as given creative freedom to produce small entertaining segments which are supervised by faculty advisors and approved by the principal before broadcast and also runs commercials promoting school organizations and events. Because of the popularity of the program, in 2005 MAVision introduced an assistant faculty to the program, Mr. Richard Morris, in addition to an entry level Video Tech 1 class, which teaches the basics in editing and filters through those wanting to receive a technology credit and those that aspire to be a part of the broadcast who are considered through an application process. The organization also participates in remote shooting locations of which include concerts at the school's auditorium and several district events. MAVision is committed to informing the students as well as to promote school spirit and community. A list of the more notable Mavision shows are:

The television announcement system is typical of numerous programs at other high schools around the country.

MAVision is currently under the direction of Mrs. Jennifer Baldwin.

Notable Alumni

Footnotes

  1. ↑ pasadena memorial high school expansion
  2. ↑ "Maverick Student Activities". Pasadena Memorial High School. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
Students refer their strong sense of pride to "bleeding teal".

External links

Coordinates: 29°38′21″N 95°10′29″W / 29.6391°N 95.1748°W / 29.6391; -95.1748

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